That Was Then, This Is Now
by Mystical Machine Gun
Summary: Sipping away sorrows in a bar leads to unforeseen events; being a fifty-year-old man does not help it at all. What if you encountered the love of your life and had the chance to make everything better again? Is it even possible? NaruSasu, M for SEX
1. Chapter 1

Hello there dear readers (if there is actually any of you left)! I am back with a new story :D I got the idea from a friend of mine and well, I wanted to try out writing about people in their fifties. Hopefully this does not gross you out ;D Two grown men fighting their pasts and trying to rebuild another - it is not easy even though growing old is more or less growing wiser too. I do hope you enjoy this and I have to admit I cried in the middle of writing it…I am so sad…haha. 

Please do not flame (I do not find a reason for it so you better not either). I apologize for the possible misspellings and other errors.

CHECK OUT MY OTHER SASUNARU/NARUSASU STORIES TOO AND TELL ME WHAT YOU THINK!

**Pairing**: Naruto x Sasuke

**Summary**: Sipping away sorrows in a bar leads to unforeseen events; being a fifty-year-old man does not help it at all. What if you encountered the love of your life and had the chance to make everything better again? Is it even possible? NaruSasu, MSEX

**Disclaimer**: I have no rights over the characters or whatsoever (do not sue me Mr. Kishimoto), I am just loaning them and returning to the rightful owner (Mr. Kishimoto).

_That Was Then, This Is Now_

I sit at the local bar sipping away my sorrows like I do on so many nights like this. The bartender does not even ask me what I would like to order, since my face is probably tattooed in the back of his mind. Pathetic. Vodka Martini on rocks and I close my eyes. The atmosphere is stuffed and worn like the customers in the place; people look like they have lost their everything and probably want to get rid of the rest too.

I may look like I do not fit, since I sit here in a wrinkled suit, but no one comes to say anything. They never do. We are all out of place here and yet this is the only place in which we belong to. I sigh and open my eyes, the air is thick with smoke and I am already sweating. I have to loosen my tie and unbutton the first buttons of my shirt in order to breathe. I take a paper tissue from the counter and wipe my face with it. Pathetic old man.

The door opens again, but none of us really care - it is just another lonely soul like the rest of us. I bury my head in my arms and rest like that for awhile. The bartender knows I am not passing out because of the liquor; I never do that at this time of the evening. He knows me and I know him - yet we are strangers to one another. My trousers are sweaty too and clinging to my legs. It feels nasty, but I let it slide, like I do with so many things in my life. Ten more years and I can retire, I assure myself. Ten more years.

I hear a rough laughter from next to me, but I am too tired to raise my head. One beer, says the voice and my eyelids open as fast as the lightning rides across the sky. The person next to me finishes off the liquid fast, I can hear that. He orders another one with his raspy voice full of life well spent. I envy him. Would you like another one Sir, the bartender asks me, since he knows how this will go from here. Now I am in the state of wanting to hit my forehead against the counter so many times that I forget everything. He is offering me a helping hand; a liquid one to ease my frustration and again save me from the night I fear so much. Yes, I answer back with a weak smile.

No, it cannot be you, the voice asks without really asking anything. Cannot be who? I wonder and turn my head towards the voice. My eyes meet the bluest ones I have ever seen - no, I have seen similar so long time ago. His blonde hair is ruffled and spiky and all I can do is just stare. Oi shit, you have become chubby Sasuke, says the voice to me with a snicker. No, no, no. One of the things I needed to forget. One of the things that made me become like this. Naruto Uzumaki, a friend from the past I would like to forget entirely. Why are you here, I ask tiredly even though I do not mean to sound like that.

Cannot a guy have a beer after a long day's work, he smiles at me. You are not a guy anymore, you are fifty; you do know that, I sigh. Well, I am still working even though you may consider me as good as dead, he then continues. The smile never leaves his lips. Fancy meeting you here, he says and takes another gulp from his pint. Yeah, I blurt back without realizing that I sound childish acting the way I do. Give this man another one of those fancy queer drinks and another beer for me, Naruto orders with a loud voice that rings in my ears and making them hurt. As noisy as before, I sigh and he just laughs. Do you have an umbrella to it, he then asks and the bartender takes a little green glittery one from under the counter. I sigh again, but I leave it at that and take a long sip.

You have got a suit, where do you work, Naruto blurts out. I am a teacher, you know, kids with learning disabilities and such, I answer without looking at him. I just keep my eyes on the floating ice cubes in my drink. Oh, well, I work at the near construction site, you know, I am an electrician. I also repair spacer plates and other joints in the wired hell, he smiles. I never asked, I say back at him. Old and cranky, I see, he sighs in turn. I decide to check him out and from the corners of my eyes I can see that he is well-built and a bit rough, like workers in that kind of field usually are. He looks good for a fifty-year-old guy - only the fine lines on his face reveal he is not in his twenties anymore.

Then I look at myself and I feel ashamed. Yeah, I have become chubby; since all I do is sit at school or occasionally stand when I am writing something on the blackboard. I am kind of amazed that you have let yourself to become like that, he says wonderingly. Like fat, you mean? I ask back, but I do not really need an answer, since I know it is the truth. Haha, you used to be into sports so much, he then says. Well, people grow up, they get married and then divorce, I say my voice sounding bitter. So, I take it you were married and now not? He keeps harassing me with questions.

She has cut all the ties with me and I and my son do not even keep contact anymore, I somehow blurt again knowing I have said too much to a person, who is not involved in this. Pretty sad, Naruto says. I can see from his expression that he wants to know more but probably does not have the nerve to ask. I never thought you would get married, he wonders aloud. How about you, I ask and empty my glass. Well, I have done this and that, but those things were never serious, he answers although he does not actually answer my question as such. So, you have a son…does he look like you? He tries to sound casual and I perfectly know the reason why. Maybe, I say back and shake the glass in my hand so I could get a refill.

I take out my wallet and give him the picture, in which is my eighteen-year-old son. Oi, he looks just like you back in our time, he says and studies the picture closely. Looks like a great kid, he says and gives the picture back. I would not know, I answer him honestly. I know why this is awkward; I could cut the tension and pretence with a machete the size of a lion.


	2. Chapter 2

Hello there dear readers (if there is actually any of you left)! I am back with a new story :D I got the idea from a friend of mine and well, I wanted to try out writing about people in their fifties. Hopefully this does not gross you out ;D Two grown men fighting their pasts and trying to rebuild another - it is not easy even though growing old is more or less growing wiser too. I do hope you enjoy this and I have to admit I cried in the middle of writing it…I am so sad…haha. 

Please do not flame (I do not find a reason for it so you better not either). I apologize for the possible misspellings and other errors.

CHECK OUT MY OTHER SASUNARU/NARUSASU STORIES TOO AND TELL ME WHAT YOU THINK!

**Pairing**: Naruto x Sasuke

**Summary**: Sipping away sorrows in a bar leads to unforeseen events; being a fifty-year-old man does not help it at all. What if you encountered the love of your life and had the chance to make everything better again? Is it even possible? NaruSasu, M - SEX

**Disclaimer**: I have no rights over the characters or whatsoever (do not sue me Mr. Kishimoto), I am just loaning them and returning to the rightful owner (Mr. Kishimoto).

Almost thirty years ago I met Naruto at the university. He studied God knows what as I was studying literature. We both ended up in the same class and somehow he took the seat next to me. He was always sleeping in classes and I considered it to be my duty to wake him up by hitting him in the head with the thickest book I carried around. That is how we got to know each other and I had made my first friend at the university. Naruto was not actually dumb, he was just utterly lazy, which meant that I did his homework most of the time and he paid back by preparing meals for us.

We had similar tastes when it came to movies and music so it was easy to be around him, too easy as it seems. On that dreadful evening the other students asked us to come to drink with them and check out the local girls. It was nice to loosen up from time to time so we agreed. We went to the club near the centre of the city dressed up as fashionably as we could with our student budget. The air was thick with sweat, heat and incomprehensible lust and we decided to buy drinks first and then find seats. The drinks were cheap, since it was Super Saturday and we ordered enough to get an army pass out with it.

We carried the glasses with trailers and sat into a velvet booth. By the end of the night we were absolutely smashed and I remember how Naruto tried to explain me some sort of a formula he had discovered like two second ago. He wiped away the sweat from his forehead and tried to convince me that he would get a Nobel Prize for his contribution to the society. I could not hold it back; instead I burst out in laughter and almost pissed my pants. He looked hurt and I had to wipe away the tears of laughter from the corners of my eyes.

Yourrr dodally drunk, I laughed at him and said that I had to use the restroom or else the velvet would be one degree darker. Naruto took me by the shoulder and practically ordered me to lead him to the toilets too, since he was not able to find those by himself - let alone walk. I dragged him to the toilets and we plunged into a same booth, since all the others were taken. It was easier to take a piss when you did not have to work on your zipper alone, since it was hard enough to bend down…It was cramped and so corny that I really had to try not to laugh. Everyone probably thought we were sucking each other off in the booth, since Naruto was sighing, huffing and puffing.

Naruto probably did not notice the total stupidity of the situation. Finally we were done and ready to leave, but the door did not open. We tried to unlock it, but nothing worked. Naruto swore and I was already panicking until he started to laugh. The laughter was heart-warming and full of alcohol, but I was immediately infected by it. We both laughed in the booth because it was the dumbest situation ever. Our laughter quietened down and we had to concentrate on breathing or else we would have died.

Suddenly Naruto pressed himself against me and I had to use all my power so that we would have not fallen. Do not pass out, I said to him but he just smiled and yanked my head. Our lips crushed against one another's and I did not do anything to prevent it. I merely put my arms around his skinny waist and deepened the kiss. It felt so natural, sweet and rough at the same time. My mind was happily blank and his fingers travelled in my hair like little mice. I grew hotter by the minute and I know that it was the same thing for him, since it was not a drumstick poking my thigh.

I lowered my hands on to his buttocks and squeezed him closer to me. We totally made out in the booth until our friends came with the bar worker to open the door. Finally they got us out and oh boy, the look on their faces. What the heck were you doing in there, they asked and Naruto and I exchanged looks. My shirt was half open and his hair was messy; I do have to admit we looked suspicious. It was so fucking hot in there, I said annoyed and we all went back to the dance hall where our seats were. My skin was still itching because of the contact and from time to time I eyed Naruto.

My mind floated somewhere far away and he did not seem any more concentrated on anything than I was. What I wanted was something I never dared to ask - luckily I did not have to do it. All of us decided to leave the place, since it was late and tomorrow was another day in the boring lecture hall. Naruto's legs were mushy so I had to support him while we walked. Sasuke, take me home, he blurted and we separated from the rest of the group. Somehow we stumbled our way into Naruto's house while kissing fervently and touching all over. I never thought anything other than it was our time, our moment - I felt his every cell, his skin, his breaths. We were one and I would have not had it any other way. Everything came crushing down like a waterfall; feelings exploding, unbearable heat and hunger.

Now that I recall, I do not remember the night as a whole but as pieces, which were more than their sum. I buried my head into the nook between his neck and shoulder and I can still remember his fragrance. His kisses trailed down my whole body making it tingle in every possible way. I let him penetrate me, which he did with the utmost care and tenderness. His hands caressed me alongside every push and the pain disappeared like a shooting star. I yanked him into a kiss, a passionate kiss promising him everything he would ever want and more. We made love the whole night, holding each other, keeping each other safe. We just wanted the other to feel good, feel loved.

That night the flower buds bloomed and we made an oath of eternal love and such. How naïve and childish we were. Two guys, the same kind of puzzle pieces trying to unite. We tried hard to not let go, but the love we were blessed with had different plans. The fear of getting caught in a society which does not approve abnormalities offers only constant battles. I wanted to fight it, but the power pulling us apart was too strong. It did not come from behind the corner; it just sneaked slowly into our world like the snake in the Garden of Eden. My studies took a lot of my time and Naruto had his own things. The time we had together slipped from between our fingers and we could not grasp it.

In the end Naruto dropped out of the university and not so long after he went to work to another city. Another city became another country and another world altogether. Our promises of love turned into letter and Christmas cards until they diminished into nothingness. The feelings which turned our world upside down were forgotten and buried like a treasure in the ancient times. We even lost the rainbow which led to the treasure. I graduated and I became a literature teacher. It seems Naruto let his hands guide his path in life. I got married and had a son as he never did, or maybe he had been married once or twice - I do not know. Thirty years is a lifetime; I did not see him getting older, making choices nor did I get to see him.

Why did we let love pass us like a stranger? Why was our love not enough? I look at Naruto now and I can see the life lived on his features, the life, in which I did not belong to. Maybe he looks at me and wonders too, but maybe these things do not matter to him anymore. In those years I did thought about him; I wondered where he was, with whom and did he ever give me any thought. Now he is sitting next to me, smiling and somehow it does not feel we were ever apart from one another. Inside me, there was always a special place for him, even when I married my wife.

Sometimes I wished he would have come, offered his hand and said that this time we would make it no matter what. Naruto has not lost any of his charm even when he is fifty; nothing that made him "Naruto". The Naruto who was my beloved is still the same, but maybe a bit wiser. If we knew then, what we know now, maybe we could have survived. I do not know; I cannot turn the time back. My heart skips a beat every now and then and I thank God I got to feel like this once more. It is a whole other feeling and cannot be compared to anything on this Earth - it is a mixture of memories, feelings and magic all at the same time. Or, perhaps I have drank too many of these drinks of mine…

I look at my wristwatch and I know my time in this pub has come to its closure and tomorrow is another workday. Ten more years. I think I should go, I say melancholically to him. You know, work, I smile faintly. Oh, I should probably leave too, he says then. We stand up almost at the same time and somehow I feel like we are at a university course again. The feeling is familiar, soft and warm, but this time also lonely. What are you smiling for, Naruto asks, but I just shake my head. We head into the night and right before we take on a road of our own, he stops me. Can I have your number, he asks me. I am a bit amazed, but I give it to him knowing it does not change anything. Then again, maybe it does not have to.

**P.S. Do tell me what you though****t about this one, I would be really happy **


	3. Chapter 3

Hello there dear readers (if there is actually any of you left)! I am back with a new story :D I got the idea from a friend of mine and well, I wanted to try out writing about people in their fifties. Hopefully this does not gross you out ;D Two grown men fighting their pasts and trying to rebuild another - it is not easy even though growing old is more or less growing wiser too. I do hope you enjoy this and I have to admit I cried in the middle of writing it…I am so sad…haha. 

Please do not flame (I do not find a reason for it so you better not either). I apologize for the possible misspellings and other errors.

CHECK OUT MY OTHER SASUNARU/NARUSASU STORIES TOO AND TELL ME WHAT YOU THINK!

**Pairing**: Naruto x Sasuke

**Summary**: Sipping away sorrows in a bar leads to unforeseen events; being a fifty-year-old man does not help it at all. What if you encountered the love of your life and had the chance to make everything better again? Is it even possible? NaruSasu, MSEX

**Disclaimer**: I have no rights over the characters or whatsoever (do not sue me Mr. Kishimoto), I am just loaning them and returning to the rightful owner (Mr. Kishimoto).

He did call the next morning. Naruto asked me to have lunch with him and I agreed. It felt nice and nostalgic; good friends getting together after a long time - no alcohol involved. There was no awkwardness in the air and I fully enjoyed his company like I did so many years ago. How aware the encounter made me of the mistakes I did, why could I have not called him even once? Just to hear his voice, to know whether he was happy or sad. I want to tell him I missed him, but I know it is inappropriate now.

We head out after eating and he goes through the door before me - his scent stays lingering in the air. How much I loved that scent, like fresh air mixed with sunshine coloured rain. Time keeps slipping away, he sighs and I could not agree more. I would like to enjoy your company more, if it is okay with you, he says with a smile. I might be off to abroad sometime soon again and there is still so much to hear and tell, he then continues. I agree, I answer back with a heavy yet light heart. How about a walk tomorrow evening? You can show this city to me, Naruto grins. You do know this is where you were born and raised, I say back at him. He merely laughs and I sigh.

In the back of my mind I fear that this feeling of easiness will be taken away from me and he will leave my life as he did so many years ago. The next day at work seemed to rush so fast. Suddenly it did not feel like ten years anymore. At lunch break I smelled the food thoroughly and enjoyed it. The boredom and emptiness had been swept away for the first time in ages. I was never a person to befriend with others, but now I know that even I have someone - him. I actually missed spending time with people; my wife and child ate up all the time. I love my family - no doubt about that, but friends were something I missed very dearly. I am fifty years old, divorced and not in speaking terms with my son; even less than these can drive a person insane. Nothing wrong with me being a little happy about the upcoming meeting?

When I returned home, I changed clothes and even took a scarf, since I know nights at this time of the year can be crucially cold. I walk down the street to the place where we are supposed to meet and I can see him standing there already. He raises his hand and waves at me and I respond to that by raising my hand a little. I am glad you came, he says and I nod. We start to walk towards the sightseeing place, the place, where we used to hang out. Maybe it was an unconscious decision but neither of us gave any more thought to that. We reach the square, where the fence separates the cliff and the sea from the firm ground. The best place for star gazing.

We lean against the fence and look at the magnificent night sky. It is so dark already, Naruto says and I agree once more. Then the silence lies upon us and we just enjoy the peaceful moment. I missed you, he then says breaking the atmosphere and startling me. Maybe that was the reason why I never got married…maybe I tried so hard to search another you, he sighs and I feel guilty. I got married and moved on; physically at least. Come, it is getting frigging cold, I say meekly and turn around. Wait, he says and grabs my sleeve. Did…did you miss me even the slightest? No, forget that, I am sorry, he mumbles. More than you can possibly know, I whisper.

He presses his head against my chest and I know he can hear the loud thumbing. Someone might see us, I murmur. I do not care, he replies and presses his hot lips on mine. The kiss is full of anxiety, lost years and familiarity. Never has anyone's kisses tasted like this. We grip each other as if we are falling, not wanting to let go. We break the eager kiss because of the lack of oxygen, but still holding one another tightly. God, we are old, he smiles and I hug him while sniffing the essence that makes Naruto. Come, he says and takes me by the hand. I take that hand and let the figure guide me through the dark night.

After some time we reach his house and step inside; Naruto asks whether I want some wine. I say yes and we sit down on his sofa side by side. We sip the wine while he rests his head on my shoulder. How the hell did we do this when we were young, he laughs. It was brutal lust, I say sarcastically back. He raises his gaze and snuggles closer. Can I kiss you, he asks and I reply by occupying his lips with mine. The mindless lust had turned into tenderness and carefulness, maybe even clumsiness. The empty wine glasses drop on to the floor as we try to take back the time lost.

Roughly he removes my shirt and with eagerness I his. Buttons on the trousers fly open as sloppy kisses are exchanged. Bed, he murmurs and I nod so fast that I almost faint. We stumble to his bedroom and Naruto pushes me on to the bed. Trousers, he says and starts to peel them off of me. Hell, this used to be easier, he huffs and I remind him that we are not young anymore. At last we are both naked without any strings of fabric covering us. I somehow feel insecure and ugly compared to Naruto. For a fifty-year-old he has a nice figure, strong arms and thoroughly nice features. I am fat. Why would he want me?

You are beautiful, he smiles and I reply by saying he is cheesy. He just laughs and trails kisses down my torso. You do know we need lube, I say and he asks me to wait a second. It looks kind of funny how a grown-up man rummages his closets like a teenager in need. Soon he finds what he is looking for and comes back to the bed. Naruto savours my lips again while letting his fingers travel on my sensitive skin. He squeezes some of the lube on to his fingers and takes them near my hole. Ready, he says not really asking but instead just informing me.

He pushes two fingers in at the same time and I flinch from the pain. Shit, I growl, but I let him proceed. Slower, you are ripping my insides, I huff at him. Oh, you just wait for my shaft then, he huffs back ironically. When was the last time you did it yourself, you are so tight, he continues. With you, I say and his fingers slow down a little more. The air is filled with our ragged breaths and nothing more - he removes his fingers and settles in between my legs. Spread your legs, he whispers gently and I do as he asks. He scoots closer and lifts my hips in order to ease the way in. I lie on my back and breathe heavily as he pushes his cock in.

God damn that hurts, I growl and he shushes while stroking my face. I try to be gentle, he smiles at me and starts to move slowly but steadily. His movements grow more rapid and the friction between us grows enormous. Sweat drops fall from his forehead on to my chest and my hair gets damp sticking to my face. I love you, he whispers and tears gather to the corners of my eyes. Me too, I have always loved you, I whisper back with a broken voice. Naruto lowers his head into a kiss, which tastes salty because of the stream of tears on our cheeks. He is inside of me…it feels better than anything else, like rays of sunshine coursing through my body, melting every inch of flesh.

The heat eats me up and it is hard to keep up the pace. Naruto huffs and puffs until he finds my sweet spot and my vision gets all blurry. My head yanks back as the immerse orgasm bursts out like waves of pleasure. It makes my stomach and muscles cramp; my inner ring of muscles squeeze his member tightly which eventually lead into him ejaculating inside me. Naruto's arms shake as he tries to keep his balance. He empties himself in me and collapses gently on top of me. I can feel the liquid substance course inside me and drip from my hole on to the mattress and sheets, which are messed up by our movements.

We never remember protection, I say to him and he grins. No, we never do, he laughs back. He rolls next to me, encircling me with his arms. Naruto kisses the nape of my neck and strokes my back soothingly. We are sweaty and tired; my limbs feel utterly exhausted and I let sleep take me over. The last thing I feel before dozing off is Naruto squeezing me tightly against him. It feels so warm and peaceful, perfect I even might say.

In the morning I wake up alone in the bed and hell, does my back and arse hurt. I cannot even get myself up and I am damn happy it is Saturday. His side of bed is already cold so it means he has left sometime ago. My heart clenches. Suddenly the bedroom door opens and Naruto walks in carrying a trail with breakfast on it. Morning, he says with a smile and brings the trail to me. I thought that maybe you had hard time getting up, he then says. I give him a nasty look, but he just laughs. He puts the trail on my lap and returns to the bed. I eat the bacon and eggs he has prepared for me; even those taste the best I have ever had.

After eating he puts the trail on to the floor and crawls as close as he can get. You know, there is time for everything…Naruto's voice trails off. Here it comes; this is a friendly encounter that hurts my arse or something. And well, I do not want to make the same mistakes twice, he says. What? What I am trying to say is that we used to be young and stupid and the former is impossible, the latter being something I hope we are not anymore…to put it simply, I…well, you know, Naruto says, but none of this ranting of his makes any actual sense. What, I ask a bit dumbfounded. I would like to take back the time lost by being with you now, loving you ten times more - if it is even possible, since you have been my number one always, he blushes.

You do know you are embarrassing, I say to him. Yeah, he mumbles. I can only smile, since he looks now just like he used to back in those days. I would like that, I answer and kiss his forehead. God, we are sappy, I sigh and his laughter fills the room like raindrops in midsummer. Naruto encircles me with his arms and buries his head into my hair. Does that mean I will become a stepfather to your son, since I was planning to give you a ring and all that jazz, he says thoughtfully. Actually, I think you would be the stepmother, since he already has a father - me, I reply although he did not ask anything in particular. Shit, he sighs, but then laughs again.

You should probably call him, Naruto wonders aloud. Yeah, probably, I say and he throws a cell phone from the nightstand. Now? I ask surprised. Well, he has a new mother, Naruto grins. You are stupid, you always were, I sigh once again, but I dial the number anyway. Hi, it is me, err, your dad…been a long time, huh? Well, I was just wondering whether you would like to have lunch with me? There is someone I would like you to meet…I tell my son and I know I am as red as a tomato. Glad my son cannot see me now.

So, when we go to see your son, can I hold your hand, Naruto asks. We are not teenagers anymore, I say to him a bit irritated. Yeah, but we kind of missed those things…he says with a pouty face. Fine, whatever, I say back. We decide to take a shower together and then maybe rent a movie or something; just spend time together. It took so long to finally be like this, sitting on the sofa side by side, hand in hand - complete. Yet, the turning point was so fast it almost blinded us.

The people in the bar might have lost their everything, but we found something on that dark and gloomy night. Maybe we were supposed to make all the mistakes so that we would not have to make them now. Somehow I wish those "ten more years" would last hell of a lot longer…maybe I am going insane, but I would like to get a fresh start with Naruto - even though we are aged like good wine and there is always Viagra if it ever comes to that…

**P.S. Do tell me what you though****t about this one, I would be really happy **


End file.
